Leyton Orient started life after Alberto Cavasin with a 3-1 defeat to promotion chasers Doncaster Rovers at the Keepmoat Stadium.

A Liam Mandeville penalty double and one from Jordan Houghton were enough to seal the three points for the hosts.

Callum Kennedy bagged his first goal for the club with a tantalising free-kick from 30-yards out in what was their second away defeat of the season.

It was always going to be a tough ask for new boss Andy Edwards to pick up something from a high-flying Doncaster side but Orient showed vast improvements.

Rovers started off the game well pushing forward into the O’s half but could not find an opening.

The first attempt of the afternoon fell to former Orient captain Mathieu Baudry but he could only head over the bar from 12-yards out.

Michael Collins and Myles Judd demonstrated good link-up play down the right but the full-back’s cross was easily held by keeper Marko Marosi.

Donny had a triple chance to open the scoring in the 15th minute after John Marquis forced Alex Cisak into a save.

From the corner, Tommy Rowe was denied by the woodwork with the ball coming bounding back out like a pinball before Orient cleared the ball out of the box.

But it was Orient who broke the deadlock with a superb free-kick from left-back Kennedy. From 30-yards out he whipped the ball into the top corner.

Doncaster looked to hit back immediately but Jordan Houghton could only fire wide from the edge of the area.

The woodwork was not to be the home side’s friend after Mandeville’s curled shot on the half hour mark was met by the crossbar once again.

Aron Pollock and Tom Parkes combined well to stop a Doncaster attack with the latter having to deflect James Coppinger’s effort over the crossbar.

Coppinger delivered in a dangerous free-kick into the area seven minutes before half-time but it does not trouble Cisak as Rowe’s header goes well over the bar.

Towards the end of the half it was all Doncaster but on a rare occasion Orient looked to counter but Rowe got back well to clear the ball back to Marosi.

Houghton eventually gained the equaliser for Donny just before the stroke of half-time with the player drilling the ball home from inside the area.

The second half started like the first with Doncaster pushing forward to take the lead, Mandeville’s shot was saved by Cisak and turned out for a corner.

Coppinger, a minute later, was left alone down the right-hand side but he drilled a shot across the goal.

There was a nervous moment for Marosi when he took a while to clear the ball with Jay Simpson closing in but the keeper managed to knock it out just in the nick of time.

It was an absolute heartbreak for Josh Koroma who had just come on for the parting Sandro Semedo.

He tripped Matty Blair in the penalty area and Mandeville slotted home the resulting penalty.

And not before the long, the home side had another penalty after Parkes tripped up Rowe and Mandeville slotted the ball home for his second of the match.

Paul McCallum had a chance to reduce the deficit 15 minutes from full time but Marosi was equal to his effort and parried the ball away.

Jay Simpson whipped a cross from the right for Koroma who took a touch in the area before he lashed a shot just over the bar.

Orient tried to find a way back into the game and in the 87th minute Kennedy’s free-kick was met by Simpson but the forward was unable to get a shot away.

Three minutes later Simpson slid in Judd down the right, the full-back burst into the area but was denied by Marosi.

Mandeville had the last chance of the game but it was easily saved by Cisak.

Orient have a week off before they welcome Accrington Stanley to Brisbane Road on Saturday, December 10.

Orient starting XI: Cisak, Kennedy, Pollock, Parkes, Judd, Weir, Atangana, Semedo (Koroma 57), Collins, Simpson, Palmer (McCallum 65) Subs not used: Dunne, Bowery, Sargeant, Dalby, Janse